Vehicle air conditioning/heating systems are well-known in the prior art, and typically comprise an assemblage of heat exchangers, blowers, temperature sensors, air flow diversion mechanisms, refrigerant flow conduits, controllers, etc. These system elements are generally installed at various locations throughout the vehicle engine compartment and dashboard, and are interconnected via air handling ducts.
The prior art systems for ducting heated and conditioned air to the vehicle interior require large amounts of space to accommodate the above-mentioned system elements. The packaging requirements for climate control systems for vehicles are becoming more important due to the downsizing and weight-reducing programs for modern vehicles. Furthermore, efforts are being directed toward conserving space and weight in all areas of the climate control system. Moreover, manufacturing costs are always an important issue, and the utilization of modular, space-efficient system components will result in an overall reduction in the cost of manufacturing a motor vehicle.
It would be desirable to produce a space-efficient air conditioning/heating module which could be installed entirely within the dashboard of a vehicle and which could be center-mounted and therefore useful for both left- or right-hand drive vehicles.